


The journey to be ready for love

by BleuScience



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto, Sasuke (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:47:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24534859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleuScience/pseuds/BleuScience
Summary: The day Sasuke apologized to Sakura, he was a completely different man. It was not just about losing an arm; it had also left behind a hatred that for a long time he believed he should maintain. And there, together with team 7, he understood the great mistake he had made. The tears that fell iteratively down the cheek of the kunoichi and the blood dripping between the rocks from the blond's arm were the reflection of how his decisions had hurt so many people.For the first time in a long time, Sasuke wondered what he could do for others.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of saved writings that I decided to start publishing, they are short fanfics about Sasuke's thoughts towards Sakura during some moments of his life.
> 
> It is my first writing in English, so I apologize in advance if there are any errors or inconsistencies, please don't hesitate to let me know if you find any of them.

* * *

_"Sasuke Kun! I already told you to stay still!"_

_"I don't need that ..."_

Sasuke Uchiha was recognized as one of the most powerful ninjas of his time, but even that title was not enough to argue against the threatening gaze of Sakura Haruno, his wife and one of the most recognized doctors in the world, both for her ability and character as for her beauty.

_Beauty, huh..._

_"I'm not interested in your proud man speech, Sasuke-kun! Your injuries are very serious, now is not the time to move too much."_

The dark-haired man couldn't help but let out a sigh of resignation. Although it was true that after one of his unique missions his body had been heavily wounded in battle, only an annoying pain remained from that danger that did not compare to the one he had experienced on previous occasions. In another situation, Sasuke would have gotten up and carried on with his life, but his wife always offered inhuman effort when it came to his injuries and not following her instructions was an insult to her good intentions, so he just dropped his head on the pillow and closed his eyes, as if hoping that it would make time move faster.

His wife watched him from across the room, sitting by a desk that barely had room for her amidst a large number of sheets and folders scattered everywhere. Sasuke knew that she was not the most organized person, but somehow, she always managed to find what she was looking for in the midst of all the chaos around her.

 _Including me_ , he thought and couldn't help but smile.

In days gone by, the pink haired girl would have filled the room with the nervous voice that came from her throat when they were together looking for a conversation that was rather uncomfortable for Sasuke. But times had changed and that shy girl had become the woman who understood better than anyone how important silence was to him.

_Beauty._

Sasuke couldn't help but hear the whispers in the hospital hallways. Sakura was part of the group of "heroes" who had saved the world during the fourth ninja war and that gave her as much fame as any other member of team 7, so it was normal that she received all kinds of compliments for her work during the battle and the one she was doing today. However, among all those comments, there was one in particular that the dark-haired man could not tolerate.

Sasuke Uchiha could not bear to describe his wife as a beauty.

Of course, he was aware of it. After all, when he decided to let go of the hatred that had consumed him for so many years and return home, Sakura appeared between his eyes as a being that he could swear he had never seen before.

Something much more special than a simple _beauty._

But it would take him some time and some experiences throughout his life to realize it.

* * *

_"Sakura ...never mind me..."_

_"Stay quiet now. I need to concentrate."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"Sorry? For what?"_

_"For everything."_

_"You should be...really…you…damn, idiot."_

The day Sasuke apologized to Sakura, he was a completely different man. It was not just about losing an arm; it had also left behind a hatred that for a long time he believed he should maintain. And there, together with team 7, he understood the great mistake he had made. The tears that fell iteratively down the cheek of the kunoichi and the blood dripping between the rocks from the blond's arm were the reflection of how his decisions had hurt so many people.

For the first time in a long time, Sasuke wondered what he could do for others.

One thing was certain: he could not take the same ninja path as Naruto. He could not change the hearts of people with a moving speech because words were not his thing nor could he smile to express his intentions of change, nor he could fight against others to change his perception of things as Naruto had done with him. He would have to think about his own way of mending his mistakes, which he knew ... it would take a long time.

For example, what could he do to mend all the suffering he had caused to Sakura? If someone had received real hate attacks from them without deserving them, it had been her. Ever since he knew her, that girl had only tried to gain her affection, and although on many occasions she ended up becoming a real nuisance, Sasuke never stopped considering her as one more member of Team 7, and, therefore, as her family.

But Sasuke didn't love her beyond that. In his heart there was not yet a space so large as to allow himself to love someone in that way and he could not imagine himself being with Sakura without trying to push her away after all they had lived. Maybe she could forgive him, but he wasn't ready to forgive himself yet.

So, an apology was all he could create. An apology that carried behind him the regret of having abandoned her, of trying to kill her and of making her cry for so long.

From that day on, Sasuke would never put Sakura's feelings aside again.

* * *


	2. Everyone's duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day Sasuke apologized to Sakura, he was a completely different man. It was not just about losing an arm; it had also left behind a hatred that for a long time he believed he should maintain. And there, together with team 7, he understood the great mistake he had made. The tears that fell iteratively down the cheek of the kunoichi and the blood dripping between the rocks from the blond's arm were the reflection of how his decisions had hurt so many people.
> 
> For the first time in a long time, Sasuke wondered what he could do for others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you find any errors. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Sasuke clearly remembered that experience. That afternoon at Naruto's house when they were sitting facing each other enjoying the moment of tranquility that war and pain had robbed them of so long ago. Naruto had grown up in his own way and it was clear that no one deserved Hokage's position as much as he did, but for team seven he was still the boy who always got them into trouble and still kept them together as a family. Kakashi for his part seemed a much calmer man, if that was possible. Sasuke had never considered it, but a meeting like that must had a feeling as important to him as to everyone else. Perhaps there was a burden on his shoulders as heavy as being the Hokage now, but somehow that seemed little compared to the responsibility of taking care of the world's most dangerous brats.

 _"What's so funny, Teme?"_ Naruto interrupted. Only then did the ninja realize that he was lost in thoughts and now a slight mocking smile was drawn on his face.

_"What else could it be? Your slow face, Dobe."_

_"What…? Do you want to fight again ?!"_

_"Naruto! Enough already! Do you want to lose the other arm?"_ Sakura argued, who until now had only dedicated herself to listening to her colleagues hidden behind her drink.

_"It's not fair, Sakura-chan! He's the one to blame!"_

Sasuke had discovered it long ago during his arm treatment at the hospital. That girl who walked among them was a complete stranger to him. It was a stranger running from one side to the other while trying to treat the insane number of wounded that the war had left. Wearing that dressing gown that sometimes lost its original color due to the amount of blood left by the treatment of so many wounds. Losing the color of her cheeks due to the number of hours of sleep suppressed. Hiding in the curtains of her office so that no one sees the crying that she could not avoid the death of any of his patients.

 _"It has been a difficult few day for her."_ Mentioned the old man.

_"Hn."_

Kakashi had visited his two students days before, during the little free time he could have now that the position as Hokage had been handed over to him. Naruto was still asleep when he arrived, while Sasuke used to wake up early to enjoy the few moments of tranquility that his best friend insisted on taking away.

The conversation between student and teacher had never been excessively fluid, but like Naruto, they had always had their own way of communicating. The new Hokage was sitting in a visitor's chair between the bed and the window, dedicated to peeling the tangerines he had brought for the pair of boys while letting out a slight hum that Sasuke found strange, although he preferred not to mention anything about it.

Since the room was quiet, it was not difficult to hear the footsteps of people who went from one side to another behind the door of their room, which always remained closed after two ninjas who were in charge of taking care of them, although Sasuke could understand why they were watching so carefully.

Usually there was nothing out there that caught his attention. Konoha was full of faces he could no longer recognize, places he had never visited, and stories he was no longer a part of. He couldn't say that thinking about it hurt him, everything that had really mattered to him in that village was somehow dead, there were only three people left with whom he felt some important connection. They represented the Konoha that he once called his home. This is how only sometimes Sasuke looked out the window. It was not difficult to know when to do it, that pinkish hair was so easy to recognize that his gaze seemed to react as soon as it appeared through the glass. Sometimes, Sakura stopped her march to greet them from the other side and Naruto responded to it with such effusiveness that she had no choice but to correct him by reminding him that they were in a hospital; then she would depart, leaving them a soft smile and the promise that she would return as soon as her shift ended.

It was one of those small gestures that had become routine, but now they were so frequent that between the two boys they began to wonder how it was that Sakura was always there, running from one place to another. Naruto ended up reproaching her about how tired and thin she looked in those days, but she didn't seem to take him seriously and took advantage of every escape from the conversation to distract him from the topic, which was not too difficult when it came to that clumsy blonde. Sasuke never tried to say anything about it, although they were sharing time as the team seven, his relationship with her did not seem to feel as close as they had with Naruto himself, so he preferred to remain silent.

And still, she always found a time to visit them. At some point he ended up recognizing her as the "old" Sakura when a nervous sideways glance and a shy smile helped him remember who was that curious doctor that everyone now respected, because the Sakura of his memories walked with insecurity and his voice was only sonorous when it came to yell at Naruto. But this girl walked alongside them differently.

This girl worked hard.

And realizing it… realizing it made Sasuke change his way of looking at her.

So, sitting in the same messy room of his best friend, Sasuke thought, for the first time since his return, that Sakura was beautiful. It should be said that this did not seem to be the ideal day to consider it because the pink haired girl had just returned from the hospital and like many other days, her worn expression showed how tired she was, in addition the disinfectant smell was noticeable, almost annoying, and can maybe she hadn't noticed, but part of what he imagined was lipstick had moved slightly from her lips, perhaps in a hurry to rub on it before reaching Naruto's house.

Still, the sparkle in her eyes didn't go away and she seemed to shine better in the company of what she probably considered her family. Sakura had the greenest eyes Sasuke could remember, always moving from side to side absorbing and expelling each of her feelings so easily, that even he was not able to escape them. It was not new for the dark-haired man to notice her gaze or understand that she was always studying him in one way or another, the surprising thing was to discover that it was working. Before Sasuke could do anything about it, Sakura had become one of the few presences that did not end up displeasing him.

Their time in the hospital with Naruto would have been unbearable had it not been for the interventions of the Kunoichi, who in one way or another had managed to stop each of their discussions and turn them into a period of neutrality that could be called almost a conversation. Even in the moments when they were alone, Sakura didn't demand anything else. Of course, it was part of her trying to create communication with Sasuke over and over again, but it was never something he didn't want to discuss. Sakura never spoke about her betrayal or the damage he had done. She never asked about his thoughts. She never asked for an explanation. She never showed a grudge against him for trying to kill her.

At first the Uchiha felt humiliated. He thought that the Kunoichi avoided all those questions out of pity or fear of how he might answer, which made the presence of the pink haired girl unbearable, but this changed after a particular conversation with Naruto.

 _"Hey, Teme. Did you know that Sakura wants to help people like us?"_ The blonde commented one day, in the middle of dinner.

 _"Like us?"_ Sasuke asked, in his typical disinterested tone, which was not always entirely honest.

 _"Sure! Have you thought about all those orphans that the war has left...?"_ the blonde's gaze descended to the fists that his hands had formed with force for a few seconds, then looked at him with a melancholic smile and raised his hand, touching his own chest _" the pain and despair ... she's been reading about it a lot, you know? I heard she wants to create a place to treat them, I bet Kakashi will be willing to help her."_

The Uchiha then understood things better. Realizing that Sakura had been trying to help him by waiting patiently for his answers instead of stuffing him with painful questions suddenly made him feel embarrassed, so the next few days he tried to reciprocate some of their conversations, which never went beyond talking about food or what each one had done that day.

That was how he discovered that talking to Sakura was not unpleasant. Although the nervous attitude that she maintained with him along with how little talkative the Uchicha was seemed to complicate things, the truth is that Sasuke had forgotten that he was talking to one of the most intelligent kunoichis in Konoha. Sakura was able to participate in military and political conversations without problems, she contributed ideas when it came to populations, she was always informed of the latest news and, of course, she was the first person consulted about medical decisions, so speaking with her rarely had the "childish" tint that Sasuke remembered from his genin days.

But on top of all that, the Uchiha finally managed to ask himself again the question he had been avoiding for so long.

What could he do for others?

If Sakura had made the decision to help heal the wounds, in body and mind, of those affected by the war and Naruto was working like crazy to fulfill his dream of being Hokage, where was he? What should he do from now on? It was clear that he still had to answer for his crimes, but if after doing so he still had to make a decision, what would be his role in this new world?

Thinking about the future made him feel lost again.


	3. His dignity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day Sasuke apologized to Sakura, he was a completely different man. It was not just about losing an arm; it had also left behind a hatred that for a long time he believed he should maintain. And there, together with team 7, he understood the great mistake he had made. The tears that fell iteratively down the cheek of the kunoichi and the blood dripping between the rocks from the blond's arm were the reflection of how his decisions had hurt so many people.
> 
> For the first time in a long time, Sasuke wondered what he could do for others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone again! I hope you are well, thank you very much for reading my clumsy story, which has suddenly become so serious.
> 
> Of course I want to add more moments between Sasuke and Sakura, but I think it's important to tell a few things first. I love thinking about Sasuke's reflections during his travels and the evolution of each of the characters is something that I love in Naruto, but leave me a review if you think it should go faster because I'm not sure.
> 
> See you soon!

* * *

Kakashi had done his best to help him, but his exile had been inevitable. Naruto and Sakura strongly argued against that decision, but Sasuke couldn't be more relieved. Konoha was not the place he needed to rebuild himself, the memories and wounds that place gave him were still too fresh to be forgotten. Besides, what he wanted was more complicated than forgetting and being forgotten.

Sasuke wanted forgiveness.

When his journey of redemption began, one of his most common thoughts was about his brother, Itachi Uchiha. How much guilt had he had to bear after the slaughter of his clan? The idea of living in silence for so many years with it, how had he achieved it? It was at times like these that Sasuke wished more than ever to be able to converse with him. Somehow, he knew that his brother would be able to understand his heart and would answer his question of how to build instead of destroy.

After much thought, he remembered that everything his brother had tried to do had one and only intention: to help. Although his decisions had brought so much pain to the Uchihas and himself, his desire for a world in which wars were finally a thing of the past had probably been his reason for moving on. Because he dreamed of a new opportunity and a better place where his pathetic and immature younger brother could live happily.

So, he decided that he would live the same way. Small and useless as his actions were, Sasuke Uchiha would dedicate his life to the service of others. After all, a simple "sorry" wouldn't be able to undo his past, but his works could help build the future. In this way, his journey became an adventure in which, with luck, he could allow him to receive forgiveness from the world and, above all, from himself.

Also, so many months of traveling had led him to rediscover the definition of a place to belong to. Since childhood he had been taught that his clan should be his pride and his heritage and although the feeling had not disappeared, the truth is that his clan did. Sasuke was the last Uchiha, and to think of himself as a clan was ridiculous to him, but he also didn't feel ready to fulfill his promise to rebuild it.

Furthermore, Sasuke knew that he was no longer alone.

* * *

_"Hey Sasuke! Where have you been?! We have a lot without knowing about you!_

_A letter from when to when it doesn't hurt, you know?_

_I don't have so much free time to go looking for you anymore, Kakashi-sensei hasn't left me alone since my training for Hokage started and I barely have time to go out with Hinata, I don't even go on missions as often! I have Iruka-sensei behind me all the time and a lot of books to read, how do you expect me to learn the name of all the Daimyō from each country?_

_Sakura-chan doesn't have time to help me study because Kakashi-sensei has gotten the approval of the war-affected children's hospital that she has proposed after much insistence to the council of elders, so don't make her worry too much because from now on she will be very busy with that, okay?_

_Do you already know the good news? Tsunade-sama had started the investigation against Danzo, but everything stopped with the arrival of war. Well it will finally open again! Apparently ANBU files have been found that could eventually uncover that guy, but Kakashi-sensei doesn't want to talk to me about it, he doesn't trust me at all! You'll see when I get to be Hokage. The important thing is that we can do justice, Sasuke, maybe that will help clear your name a little, wouldn't that be great?_

_By the way, Gaara told me about your visit to Sunagakure,_

_It's an interesting place, isn't it?_

_He has managed to turn it into a great villa._

_But Konohagakure will not be left behind!_

_Let's rebuild it, Sasuke, and this time things will be different. This time we will all work together, won't we?_

_You better answer this letter! Now I have one more arm than you to hit you!_

_Naruto. "_

* * *

_"I don't think I'm going to ask how you are, Sasuke, I imagine that Sakura and Naruto must have you quite tired with those kinds of questionnaires._

_I mean, you're still alive, right?_

_The truth is that I feel a little envy towards you, being locked in this office makes me miss the old days of instructor. By the way, since you are traveling so much, perhaps it would be good to find some interesting book for this poor man full of work who did so much for you._

_I have been exchanging letters with some villages and they seem ready to give you one or another job whenever you are under their observation, but you will have to work from the shadows and I will not lie to you, some of these missions seem quite suspicious, so you should know that I am not sending you there only because I want you to comply._

_Naruto is still very clumsy to understand, but I think you will know better than anyone that the war has only ended for some and that there is still much to do. Iruka-sensei and I must prepare Naruto properly if he wants to fulfill his dream one day, so I hope you don't mind having to deal with these things in the meantime. I want to make it clear to you that this is not an order or a threat, you can refuse if you want, but I honestly can't think of a better person than you to do this job, so write me if you are interested._

_Among other things, we have resumed Danzo's research, but it is still early for a final declaration and the elders are not very happy with this process, so I would like to know if I have your support for future declarations because it will not be an easy matter._

_Pd. Don't forget the books._

_Kakashi."_

* * *

_"Sasuke-kun, is everything alright?_

_I know you must be busy, but it's been a while and well, I'm worried I don't know anything about you._

_How is your arm? Has the pain disappeared? Do not forget to practice the stretches that I taught you, these will help prevent contractures of all the affected joints, increase circulation, and minimize muscle atrophy, so it is very important that you do them. Also, I added some botanical leaves on certain plants that could help you in your day to day._

_Naruto and Kakashi won't stop complaining. I'm sure they have written to you that they are very busy with their work and training, but Naruto escapes whenever he can to go out with Hinata and Kakashi sneaks to sleep when nobody is in the office to watch him. I am concerned about the future of Konohagakure in the hands of those two._

_The summer festivals in the village will start soon, it seems like a long time since we had time for something like this. Maybe we need it more than we think. Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji still feel unprepared to continue on missions after the funeral of Yamanaka-san and her friends. Hope this helps raise their spirits._

_Sorry, I'm getting too long, am I not? Maybe I pay more attention to these things than I should, but Naruto and I believe that it is time to start facing certain things. You can't build peace if the foundation is pain and hate, so a festival seems like a good idea to ease your spirits and it would be great if we could all be together to celebrate._

_Be careful, okay?_

_Sakura. "_

* * *

No matter how far away or how uninhabited the place was, there was always a letter to read. Naruto always told him about his dreams, about the world they would build "together" because no matter how many times Sasuke had insisted that he was not interested in it, the blonde urged that the day would come when team seven would work again so that Konoha and the world did not have to make the same mistakes that previous generations could not avoid.

Everything was beginning to change and the blonde was no exception. Of course, he still seemed to be the idiot that Sasuke remembered from all his life, but there was no longer that immaturity tint in his letters in which Naruto refused to understand things and attacked without thinking twice, letting himself be carried away by his feelings. Empathy had always been one of his most important traits, but now he seemed to handle it with greater responsibility, he seemed to begin to understand that a Hokage was more than an important figure.

Sasuke was sometimes surprised at the influence his teammate had had on everyone else. Wherever he went, someone had a story about him. But what made the most impression on him is that they did not speak of him as a hero, but as a friend. Of course, in his avenging days that ability to reach the hearts of others had been so irritating to the Uchiha that he had gone to the extreme of trying to kill him on so many occasions. Dealing with the duality of his feelings was one of the most important tests to detach himself from everything and dedicate himself to the fall of his brother, but in the end his true fraternal feelings towards him and his relationship with team seven had dragged him in such a way that when he received the power to fulfill his old goals, he could only drop his shoulders and think about how tired he was of all that.

Kakashi almost looked like a real Hokage in his letters. Sometimes he gave the impression of being really busy and worried about Konohagakure, but sometimes he was the subject who was often late and was not very aware of things due to his honest disinterest. However, the Uchiha could not deny the great help that his former instructor had given him since his exile and the effort he had shown to discover the corruption that had ended up destroying his clan.

" _Itachi and I witnessed too many things while we were at ANBU. But unlike him, I decided to quit and forget about it. It is the same decision that many of us made and now we can see the consequences of not fighting as your brother did, who paid for our mistakes. This is the least I can do for him."_ The man had once said, in a tone that was strange to Sasuke, for rarely had those two spoken about their clan, even though the two were intimately linked in some way to it.

Although he was not yet openly welcome to many of the places he visited, he could sometimes feel Konoha's influence on his journey. It was clear that some people viewed the Uchiha as a threat, but it changed depending on its arrival. Sometimes they treated him like the criminal who had participated in so many reprehensible activities, but others as a "property" of the leaf village that would only bring problems.

 _"The Konohagakure lapdog."_ Ever heard in the restaurant of the hostel where you were staying. " _He has lost all the dignity that was left to him, he is serving the village that murdered his family! What a shitty ninja is made. Hopefully someone will give him an ultimatum, to get rid of that cursed clan once and for all."_

It took a heart as big as his brother's to get past those kinds of comments that Sasuke still didn't think he had; At least he had reached the stage where a look of disapproval, which some called threatening, was enough to control his disgust at experiencing those words. The Uchiha understood that surviving implied carrying the stigma of his clan and his own actions, but contrary to what they said, his dignity was not lost.

Sakura's letters helped him remember it. Always asking about his health, his diet, his days. Sasuke found it tedious having to answer all those questions, so he used to write a single letter to his two teammates. Even so, he never forgot to thank the pink haired woman for her recommendations, as she often sent medicinal guides that had saved his life on one or two occasions. However, there was something the dark-haired man didn't bother to accept. The fact that, just like in his time in the hospital, reading the letters from the kunoichi gave him warmth.

Sasuke was not a man who enjoyed the fact that someone cared so much about him, but he didn't mind Sakura trying. She always wrote to him about the most superfluous things, such as how in love Naruto was with his fiancée, Hinata, the heir to the Hyuga clan that he remembered seeing on some occasions. Or how Kakashi often escaped his obligations as Hokage, which did not surprise him. And while none of it was particularly interesting to him, the Uchiha couldn't help but notice the effort Sakura was making to keep him connected to Team Seven and Konohagakure.

The way she so subtly reminded him that he had a home.

 _"It would be great if we could all be together to celebrate."_ She wrote in her letters and the dark-haired man could not help thinking of it as an invitation to return with them.

Sometimes he dreamed of those small moments of tranquility narrated in the letters of the little girl. That alternate life coexisting with those with whom he had grown up, sharing his days with his team and rebuilding the village as they were doing now.

 _Maybe I could try it._ He thought as soon as he woke up with that heat in his chest that held him together with his humanity. I could go back and find them to eat ramen or go on a mission with them; He could also forget this path of crucifixion and dedicate himself to living the life that was denied him, the one that would have been without all the pain and revenge that found him sitting on the grass of a forest in the middle of nowhere in search of a new destiny.

But then there was what this trip was showing him.

Like the cities forgotten by the world that were suddenly being manipulated. Those cities that survived by themselves and died for others. Its inhabitants were being used for battles in which they did not wish to participate against other countries and civil wars had formed that Sasuke could swear never to have heard of. His stay used to be short because he preferred not to be close to the crowds once his missions were over, but that was enough for him to understand that the victory achieved against Kaguya was the eruption of a volcano that was willing to explode over and over again if it was too stimulated.

Or the bandits who stole the belongings of the deceased by the war. They murdered the heartbroken families who had lost their minds who were supporting them and taking everything they could without leaving behind anyone who wanted to search for them, cleaning their records with ease. Sasuke had found entire villages destroyed by these individuals, but had not been surprised to learn that no one cared too much about them, after everyone was enjoying false comfort where they had ended the greatest threat and everything else was not more than minor problems.

And children. How many orphaned children had this last war created? How many of them would become avengers who would search for those responsible for the death of their parents and family? The Uchiha then felt ashamed of himself. For so long he had focused on his own pain that he found he had not bothered to observe the pain of others. Rather, he hadn't cared.

Then he stopped his return. His dreams, so full of hope and a promising future, were often interrupted by nightmares of memories that mixed his own suffering with that of others. Sometimes they were his parents murdered, others were the parents of a child he had met on one of his missions. Sometimes Konohagakure was destroyed, sometimes any burning village. Sometimes Naruto or Sakura were killed, sometimes the companions of some survivor. It didn't matter if it was him or someone else, Sasuke knew he couldn't go back when his mind explained that it was in his hands to stop making mass avengers like himself.

Those letters and those experiences had been helpful to him in understanding how his perception of the world was changing. Suddenly none of that sounded like a bland, childish dream but rather a responsibility. The power that rested in his hands had to be faithfully dedicated to humanity and the idea of supporting Naruto to keep his balance was painted as a correct future for the boy. But it was clear that he would not do it as a Hokage, a silly idea that he once believed intelligent, but as a typical Uchiha would have done it, from independence. So, if Naruto was to be the light of hope that the world would take as an example, Sasuke would be the shadow that would deal with what no one wanted to name.

He did not need to be accepted anymore, nor to be received anywhere. The dark-haired man would do what was necessary to avoid the absurd battles that selfishness provoked and would go into the deepest darkness to discover the minds of those ideas that threatened the peace that they were now trying to build. Of course, he was aware that all this would lead to being hated and feared by many people, but Sasuke Uchiha did not need to be loved by everyone, the three letters he kept in his pocket were enough to return home, no matter how far he was.

And that was his dignity.


End file.
